Wireless telephones are becoming more and more popular world-wide, providing telecommunications options in the United States, in Europe, and in less-developed countries around the world. In countries that have developed a communications infrastructure, cell phones are popular because they are used more conveniently and more spontaneously than traditional telephones connected by hard-wire landlines. Even though long-distance communications have been relayed by means other than landlines for many years, cell phones may provide short, medium and long-distance communication facilities without regard to any existing infrastructure.
In countries lacking an extensive telecommunications infrastructure, cell phones may be the only option, outside the most heavily-populated cities. Thus, there has been a virtual explosion in the use of cell phones in developing nations. Cell phones provide much-needed communications facilities and make lives easier and more convenient by making communications not only possible, but also convenient. It is possible that developing countries, lacking infrastructure and having very large land masses, may never build expensive infrastructures covering those vast areas. Since cell phones can provide excellent, low-cost coverage, such countries may permanently forego installing a telecommunications infrastructure.
Without such an infrastructure, telephone (copper) landlines and cable (fiber optic) landlines may not be available to serve customers. In these cases, there will be no infrastructure to bring in all the other private or commercial services, whether offered by private companies or through governmental agencies in some countries, offered through landlines. These services include, but are not limited to, cable television, Internet service, play-per-pay video or music, and the like. What is needed is a way to bring news and entertainment to people not served by a hardwired telecommunications infrastructure. What is needed is a system to bring commercial news and entertainment to persons whose communications facilities may be limited to cell phones.